The Beautiful Mess

Every decorator has his or her own way of doing things but when I'm working on a project (that doesn't require any architectural work) I usually start with a fabric palette. I typically have a general idea of the floor plan & of what types of pieces I'll need but it's the fabrics & materials themselves that drive the design for me.

As a fabric freak, I guess this makes sense, and I really like to start creating a mood and a feeling right from the fabrics. I start out by putting everything that's going in the right direction on my big work table (or the floor) and making a huge mess. At this point, I try not to think about what's going where, I'm more just working for a feeling.

Once the mess is finished, I start organizing it & making general decisions of what goes where.

It's one of my favorite parts of the process and I love it because it's one of the moments in this job where I actually get to just go with it & create and let go. It feels really good to just go with your gut and keep your brain out of it for a change.

The fabrics in the plan below have been narrowed down & everything's got a place to go. My client lives in a really unique rustic-modern home and has a beautiful collection of rugs in reds and oranges.

We're looking to bring a more natural feeling into the home. We're planning to use (below) my Fern Star on a pair of large pillows on the sofa along with a third pillow in the blue velvet, and then we'll do a window seat in the cream linen with pillows in the orange-red, my Pierced Porcelain in Olive with the Greek Key banding, and one of my favorites- Jasper's Indian Flower in Orange.

Hope you enjoyed a peek into the way we do it over here!! Have a great day STAY WARM!!! (Oh my gosh I'm literally in a furry blanket & hat right now!! We still have some vent work to be done!! eeek)

I'll be sharing 5 of my favorite things in my home this afternoon on (super-talented!!) Haskell Harris's blog later today! Check it out here!

It's interesting to see how you start your process. It makes me re-think how and why I start mine the way I do.

I start with a hand-drawn floor plan where I mark out all of the furniture. Sometimes inspiration for the colors comes from a piece of art or a client's heirloom and sometimes the inspiration is a mood that we are trying to create.

I work the same way! Well for my school projects right now, but I think I'll do the same when I actually have clients. I love getting on the floor and playing with fabrics and paints and making a big mess of pretty things, its my favorite part too :)

Lauren, I agree it is definitely the most fun part of the job. I am working on my own family room and have had so much fun pulling different combinations of fabrics together. In fact if you go to my blog you can see some of what I will be using, nothing in cement yet, except for the sofa and ottoman fabric. Having lots of fun mixing and matching,Kathysue

I am loving these posts lately, sharing a glimpse of how you work! I love those fabrics with that rug, but it amazes me how you can see it all come together in the room (particularly all that pattern!) while everything is still a bunch of swatches. I'm getting antsy for our next project to pull you in on ;)

As a decorator & a textile designer, this is my place to muse... perfection doesn't interest me; Reality and charm do. Fresh floppy flowers from the garden over long-stemmed roses any day, I love it when things are slightly off and tell a story.